Headshot
Headshot of Kevin Plaxco
Research Areas
Folding-based sensors, Principles of protein folding, Terahertz absorption spectroscopy and the collective dynamics of water and biomolecules
Professor

Contact

Address

Bioengineering, Room 3002

ME Research Areas

ME Research Areas

Research Description

The aim of the Plaxco lab’s applied research is to harness the speed and specificity of biopolymer folding as a signal transduction mechanism in a novel and highly general class of real-time, “real-world” optical and electronic biosensors. In related studies we are exploiting the extraordinary cooperativity of folding for the creation of adaptive, responsive surfaces and materials. The goal of our basic research is the development and testing of a quantitative, first principles theory of the mechanism by which proteins fold. Related theoretical and experimental projects include intensive studies of the structure and dynamics of the unfolded state and the collective dynamics of the native state.